Rivers and Winds Among the Twisted Hills
The work explores themes of nature, life, and mortality through vivid imagery and introspective reflection. The narrator describes a landscape filled with rivers and winds among twisted hills, creating a sensory experience that evokes both the beauty and transience of life. The imagery of bees, stars, and bustling city streets conveys a sense of life's vibrancy and chaos, which contrasts with the narrator's current state of tranquility and clarity. The repeated motif of hearing and the interplay between life and death suggest an ongoing contemplation of existence and the inevitable passage of time. The work captures the tension between the vitality of life and the relentless approach of death, ultimately highlighting the narrator's acceptance and illumination in the face of this pursuit.
By Robert Louis Stevenson · First published 1880 · Genre: Poetry, Romantic Literature, Pastoral · 155 words
First lines
Rivers and winds among the twisted hills, / Hears, and his hearing slowly fills, / And hearkens, and his face is lit, / Life facing, Death pursuing it.
As with heaped bees at hiving time / The boughs are clotted, as (ere prime)
Heaven swarms with stars, or the city street / Pullulates with passing feet; / So swarmed my senses once, that now / Repose behind my tranquil brow, / Unsealed, asleep, quiescent, clear; / Now only the vast shapes I hear --
Hear -- and my hearing slowly fills --
What this Textopian page supports
Rivers and Winds Among the Twisted Hills is listed on Textopian as a poem by Robert Louis Stevenson, dated 1880 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Robert Louis Stevenson
- Date: 1880 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Romantic Literature, Pastoral, Philosophical, Allegorical
- Length: 155 words
- Structure: 1 section, 6 paragraphs
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Rivers and Winds Among the Twisted Hills by Robert Louis Stevenson
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Genres
- Poetry — The work is written in verse with structured stanzas and the use of rhythmic devices typical of poetry.
- Romantic Literature — The themes of nature, emotion, and introspection reflect key elements of the Romantic movement.
- Pastoral — The vivid imagery of rivers, winds, and hills emphasizes a deep connection with nature characteristic of pastoral works.
- Philosophical — The reflection on life and death introduces existential questions and philosophical musings.
Tags
adventure · travel · exploration · nature · landscape · journey · historical · romantic · philosophical · exotic · wilderness · cultural
More by Robert Louis Stevenson
- Treasure Island (1883)
- The Pavilion on the Links (1909)
- Olalla (1885)
- A Child's Garden of Verses (1885)
- Father Damien, An Open Letter To The Reverend Doctor Hyde Of Honolulu (1914)
- A Lowden Sabbath Morn (1916)
- Songs of Travel and Other Verses (1908)
- Prayers Written At Vailima (1916)
- All works by Robert Louis Stevenson